o look for him. How's that marriage of McElwin's daughter
gettin' along?"

"Not at all. It's just the same."

"Feller still there?"

"Yes; he's running the paper."

"Don't 'pear to mind it, I reckon. I wonder McElwin don't hire him to
pull out. Well, down in this neighborhood we've got a way of settlin'
such things. We tell a feller to go and if he refuses, why, we see
that he goes. We've got a mighty lively set of young fellers."

"And your brother Bob is one of the liveliest," said Sawyer.

"Well, Bob ain't slow. The other night they took out a feller over on
Caney Fork, feller that had dropped into the habit of whippin' his
wife--and they hit him about forty-five, with a promise of more; and
they say now that he's as sweet to his home folks as a June apple-pie.
Oh, it do have a powerful sweetenin' effect on a sour citizen. Any
sour citizens up your way?"

"One," Sawyer answered.

"Don't know why, but I sorter thought so. It's dangerous in town,
ain't it?"

"Not when you fix everything."

"Well, then, go ahead, but keep outer the way of the law. Here's Bob
now."

A tall, gaunt young fellow stepped into the shop. He was a type of the
southern ruralist, broad, flapping straw hat, home-woven shirt,
cottonade trousers, one suspender. He grinned upon seeing Sawyer, and
said, "Hi."

"Ho, Bob. Busy tonight?"

"Ain't rushed. Anything blowing in the wind?"

"A little fun, that's all."

"Then let her blow my way. Steve, here, 'lows he's gettin' so old that
he don't care for fun any more, but I have to have it--bread and
blackberry jam to me."

"Well, you shall have it. How are the boys, the White Caps?"

"Finer'n silk split three times."

"Can you call them together for tonight?"

"By howlin' like a wolf. Do you want 'em?"

"Yes. Will twenty dollars pay the way?"

"We'll whip the governor of the state for that much."

Sawyer unfolded his plan. The boys were to be in front of old Jasper's
house at midnight.

"Don't let nobody take a gun with him," said Steve. "If you do there
mout be serious trouble. And there won't be no need of it, as you say
everything will be fixed. I know what I'm talkin' about. Give one of
them boys a pop and he'll use it whether occasion warrants or not. I
know 'em."

"Well, they needn't put themselves to the trouble of firing off a gun
to scare that chap. He ain't one of the sort that scares," Sawyer was
gracious enough to admit. "He don't tote a pistol and I'll manage t